Papua New Guinea evacuates thousands in path of deadly and ‘unstable’ landslide

Officials said the odds of finding survivors were slim, even as relief teams have trickled into the difficult-to-access northern Enga region of the Pacific nation since Friday.

Papua New Guinea ordered thousands of residents to evacuate from the path of a still-active landslide on Tuesday after parts of a mountain collapsed burying at least 2,000 people, according to government estimates.

Officials said the odds of finding survivors were slim, even as relief teams have trickled into the difficult-to-access northern Enga region of the Pacific nation since Friday.

Heavy equipment and aid have been slow to arrive because of the treacherous terrain and tribal unrest in the remote area, forcing the military to escort convoys of relief teams.

The United Nations said that a bridge had collapsed on the main highway to the site, forcing aid convoys to take a longer route.

Residents have been using shovels and their bare hands to search for survivors.

“The landslide area is very unstable. When we’re up there, we’re regularly hearing big explosions where the mountain is, there are still rocks and debris coming down,” Enga province disaster committee chairperson Sandis Tsaka told Reuters.

Military personnel had set up checkpoints and were helping move residents to evacuation centers, he said.

The United Nations said on Tuesday six bodies had been recovered so far and the total affected population, including those needing possible evacuation and relocation, was estimated at 7,849.